Enter and View: Sycamore House

Healthwatch North Lincolnshire conducted an Enter and View visit to Sycamore Lodge on the 1st October 2024 to assess the quality of care, resident experience, and staff support, with a specific focus on oral health practices. Healthwatch spoke with residents, staff, and management to gather feedback on oral health care and general care practices.

Key findings:

• Residents were generally satisfied with the care provided, particularly enjoying the in-home dental services, although one resident did not regularly see the dentist.
• Family and friends expressed confidence in the quality of care, with some concerns about repetitive food choices. The manager addressed these concerns and committed to improving the variety.
• Staff reported feeling supported but indicated a desire for more face-to-face oral health training. Staff were confident in their ability to assist residents with oral care, though challenges remained with residents having dementia.
• Observations showed staff were attentive to residents’ needs, and the care home environment was clean and well-maintained. However, there was a noted issue with unmarked dentures, leading to confusion and occasional loss of items.

Recommendations:

• Ensure all staff are fully familiar with the oral health policy and procedures.
• Continue to work within NICE NG48 guidelines to maintain high standards of oral hygiene.
• Offer more face-to-face oral health training to staff to increase confidence and knowledge.
• Implement measures to prevent dentures from being lost, such as marking them with residents' initials.
• Explore ways to diversify the food menu to ensure variety and address feedback from residents.

Service provider response: Sycamore Lodge acknowledges the findings and has committed to implementing the recommended changes, including updating staff training, improving the food menu, and ensuring better management of dentures to prevent loss. They also confirmed their ongoing commitment to maintaining high oral health standards in line with NICE guidelines.